pctechguide.com

  • Home
  • Guides
  • Tutorials
  • Articles
  • Reviews
  • Glossary
  • Contact

Speedstep – Intel’s mobile CPU dynamic power management architecture

Just a few weeks after its launch of the Dixon, Intel demonstrated a revolutionary new mobile processor technology that was expected to close the performance gap between mobile PCs and their historically higher performance desktop counterparts. The demonstration was of a dual-mode mobile processor technology – codenamed Geyserville – that allowed a mobile PC user to operate at a higher frequency when plugged into a wall outlet and automatically switch to a lower power and frequency when running on battery, conserving battery life. The technology was subsequently introduced aboard mobile 600MHz and 650MHz Pentium III processors in early 2000 – under the name SpeedStep.

SpeedStep technology offers mobile users two performance modes: Maximum Performance mode and Battery Optimised mode. The system by default automatically chooses which mode to run in, depending on whether the computer is running on batteries or mains power. When running in Battery Optimised Mode, the processors ran at 500MHz and 1.35V, significantly lowering CPU power consumption and consequently preserving battery life. When a user plugged into an AC outlet, the notebook automatically switched to Maximum Performance Mode, increasing the voltage to 1.6V and the speed to the maximum the processor was capable of.

These transitions happen in only 1/2000 th of a second – so fast they are completely transparent to users, even if they occur in the middle of performance-intensive applications such as playing a DVD movie. Users also have the freedom to select the Maximum Performance Mode even while running on batteries. Making that switch is as easy as clicking an icon at the bottom of the screen, with no reboot required.

Intel has developed both the hardware and software components to make the SpeedStep technology work seamlessly, including the system BIOS, end user interface software, switch control ASIC and support in the chipset. No change to operating systems or software applications is needed in order to take advantage of the technology.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: CPU Technology Tagged With: Intel's mobile CPU, power management architecture

Latest Articles

GoodDeals Ads Removal Tips and Tool

GoodDeals Ads is an adware application that displays pop up ads. It is very pervasive and shows ads on just about every page that you visit. This PUP (potentially unwanted program will display ads, popups, coupons. It will also underline words in the text you read and insert banners into the web … [Read More...]

CD-ROM Interfaces

CD-ROM drives have three main connections on the back: power, audio out to a sound card and a data interface. These days it is increasingly common to find CD-ROM drives with an IDE data interface, which in theory can be connected to the IDE … [Read More...]

Major Technology Trends for the New Year (Part 1)

The science fiction films of the last century imagined 2020 as a very distant future in which all kinds of unthinkable technologies would prevail. Spaceships or flying cars? Everything was possible from the distance of those times. Today we have seen how technology has taken over many processes … [Read More...]

2021 PC Hardware Releases to Bolster Your Gaming

If you are a PC gamer, then chances are you are looking to upgrade your kit over the coming year. However, a lot of money can go into building the … [Read More...]

New Transfer Feature in Dropbox Enable Sharing files with Third Parties

Dropbox has been a popular P2P sharing platform for many years. They don't announce new features as often as other applications, since they have a … [Read More...]

Ransomware Operators Find Data Theft Profitable

How valuable is your data? That’s not a question that organizations or individuals have to ask themselves all that often. You might know the market … [Read More...]

Engineers Encounter the Quantum Challenge with Computers Running a Hundred Million Times Faster

Quantum computers have been a subject of discussion for many years. They have probably been something that philosophers and technology pundits have … [Read More...]

Transferring Image Files from Your Cell Phone Without Cables or Email

You don't have a cable available to transfer the photos from your cell phone to your computer? You don't feel comfortable sending them through your … [Read More...]

Why Drupal Accessibility is Vital for Your Website

Drupal may not be as popular as WordPress, but it is still used in over 1 million websites. The Internet might be more conducive to our needs if more … [Read More...]

Guides

  • Computer Communications
  • Mobile Computing
  • PC Components
  • PC Data Storage
  • PC Input-Output
  • PC Multimedia
  • Processors (CPUs)

Recent Posts

Tape Storage Compatibility

In its early days, some MO disks were proprietary. Nowadays both the 3.5in and 5.25in disk types are governed by ISO … [Read More...]

Hard Disk GMR Technology

Giant Magneto-Resistive (GMR) head technology builds on existing read/write technology found in TFI and anisotropic MR, … [Read More...]

How to Remove System Protection Tools

System Protection Tools System Protection Tools is a false antivirus client that is made to look like the real antivirus client from Microsoft. The … [Read More...]

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2021 About | Privacy | Contact Information | Wrtie For Us | Disclaimer | Copyright License | Authors